


Barely Human

by Leech



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Drama, Love Triangle, M/M, Murder, Romance, Some Violence in later chapters, cop!erwin, ereri, eruri - Freeform, kitty!levi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-29
Updated: 2014-09-08
Packaged: 2018-01-21 07:31:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1542647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leech/pseuds/Leech
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Werecats are a rare breed. They are worshipped by modern culture; their lives are gaudy and plush-lined. Levi, though, has kept to his feline roots and remained impervious to the status symbol. He hates humans and avoids them at all costs. Of course, his new caretaker, Erwin Smith, has a tenacious personality, and is determined to let Levi see he is far more human than he realizes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Defiant

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! I imported a lot of the ideas in this fanfic from Kuroneko Kareshi no Asobikata, a yaoi manga that I highly encourage everyone to check out! While they won't match up and I will incorporate my own twists and turns on the reality of this AU, I still got the idea from it and cannot say it sprung from my own imagination. Please be aware that I am busy and chapters may come out at differentiating speeds.The rating might go up since there will be sexy times in later chapters, so fair warning.

It was warm, the sheets curled loose about his frame. They moved with his tossing and rolling, caused no restriction for him to spread out and find himself a pleasant position to doze in—which was not of the usual. The mattress seemed to fit him properly this time, not too thin and not too short. He would have imagined it easy enough to find someone like himself a properly sized bed; he did not come up past most anyone’s shoulders, and yet the trouble remained.

But now, it was gone, and the man was allowed to stretch and roll and lie comfortably upon his back. Behind his eyelids could he see the faint hints of sunshine peeking through the shutters. It was only more heat to relax his muscles.

He wished it could remain like this forever, stay quiet and dark and—

“Levi.” The deep voice broke whatever semblance of placidity he had managed to scrounge up, the lights suddenly flickering on, sheets yanked off of his nude body. Instantly did Levi curl, face burying into his pillow as a string of vulgarity was allowed to slip through his lips.

His enemy was hardly fazed.

“Levi, it’s already past seven. You’re supposed to be up by now.” Lolling his head toward the side, glowering something fierce over his pale shoulder, Levi’s eyes caught sight of Erwin looming beside his bed. His sheets were held tight in a fist, which was resting at the blond’s hip in an almost flustered sense. It was no surprise. This happened more or less every morning. Levi slept in as long as he could get away with it, until Erwin found him on the living room floor still and grew fed up. Lately, his fuse had grown shorter, Levi noting the time getting earlier and earlier with each passing week. Was Erwin becoming serious, perhaps? Sure, he wanted him to get a job, but that had been going on since a few months ago.

Rising, stretching out and listening to cracking joints, there were soon clothes hitting his face. Lifting a hand to smack them off, Erwin was already sitting down on the couch to tie his shoes.

“Get dressed. We’re leaving soon.”

A sigh filtered into the air, Levi’s body flopping back onto the spare bed and draping his shirt across dusky eyes.

“Levi—“

Another, louder huff from the black-haired man.

“ _Levi_.”

“Alright,” the smaller male admitted in defeat, standing and shuffling his way toward the bathroom. “But I’m taking a shower. I don’t care what you say.” The door was shut behind him before the other could protest.

It was the normal sequence of events, really. If Erwin did not pester and prod him to wake up and get ready each morning, Levi would find himself quite befuddled. The blond had been generous enough to offer his living room around June, seeing as Levi had no money to afford a condo of his own—nor food, for that matter. But such was life, and Levi was well acquainted with it by now.            

People like him were born to wander. They did not have a ‘home’, so to speak, but slept wherever they found pleasing enough at the time. That was how cats worked, he realized, and Levi did not see himself as anything more. Erwin would have disagreed, would have told Levi he was more human than he thought, but he never listened. Erwin was, understandably, kept from knowing the full extent of his reasoning. Levi had no interest in sharing personal opinions with a man that he hardly knew—or desired to not know. People were kept at arm’s length. The shell that had formed about his exterior was as thick as steel, impenetrable unless from the inside out.

His years of living had taught him nothing more than to be untrustworthy. Humans were far more selfish than felines. He hated the lot of them.

It was late October, and the leaves that had settled on Erwin’s front porch were eyed with some fatuous temptation. He wanted to pat and toss them about in a horrendous flurry that could only ever cause strife between him and the human he resided with. He was well-behaved in comparison to those siblings and friends that at one time stood by his side, but Levi now found himself a singular entity when Erwin did not stubbornly squeeze his way into his business. Even now was he patting shotgun in his car. Levi knew the drill by this point; he did not refuse to sit down and allow himself to be driven around town.

Orange, brown, and red bled through the city streets, peeked from behind glass superstructures and continuously flogged the streetlights whenever a gust of wind decided to stir.

Thin lips parted to allow a yawn to slip by, Levi settling himself onto the median that separated Erwin and him from one another. The cat was not ignorant to his company’s harsh inspection.

“Sit up. I went through a lot of trouble getting you this chance.”

“I don’t recall forcing you to spend time on me.”

“It’s not my choice when you sleep in my living room.” Levi fell quiet. He had neither the intention to combat that nor the words to try and defend whatever dignity he might still hold. “You need a damn job. You can’t sleep the rest of your life away and mooch off my wallet.”

“I never asked for your help.” Erwin only took their temporary brake at the red light to send a darker glance to Levi. The topic was a touchy one, but Levi didn’t seem to care much for the other man’s feelings. He didn’t see why Erwin gave a damn in the first place. So what if he was mooching off his money? He could throw him out if it was that much of a hassle. The blond had no reason to be taking care of him to this extent, no underlying duty to humanity that would force him to sacrifice time on Levi.

And it certainly wasn’t out of the goodness of his heart that he pounded these facts into Levi’s consciousness every waking moment. Unless Erwin was some sadist, the feline felt correct in his assumptions concerning the blond.

But despite all of that, it was a fair argument. Erwin either had no proper answer to contest Levi or he felt no desire to express one.

They lurched forward. Silence befell the car much to Levi’s approval. Talkative in some respect, Erwin was not a favorable partner to interact with in these closer proximities. Huffing, fidgeting, and attempting to find a somewhat decent angle to doze off, grey eyes opened only a minute later when feeling the blond park.

It was unlike most other places Erwin had dragged him into. The building was painted in light shades of pastels. The painful colors seemed to attack the fiery trees surrounding it, clashing viciously with an almost sickening vertigo. There was a billboard perched atop the left side and on it a gratuitously positioned woman whose age surpassed that of most any social regulation. Sun-bleached, the letters across the bottom were as faded as her charm; whatever makeup she had boasted before fell victim to the white smooches and abuse caused by rain. The trails almost acted as tears of some sort, dripping down her face and smearing the outlines into a perverted state of disarray. The billboard overshadowed a creamy-pink roof, which too apparently suffered years of natural wear-and-tear. Scaffolding hung limp across the building’s waist. Levi presumed someone had opted to fix the place up, but even it swayed and creaked under the slightest breath of wind, abandoned and more or less forgotten.

Cracks and blemishes marred the parking lot’s countenance, the tips of Levi’s shoes occasionally finding themselves trapped within a crevice, the cement pleading for attention. The place was a damn mess, he thought to himself.

The black-haired man pursed his lips.

“I don’t like it.”

Erwin ignored him, using his side to prop open the nearest entrance. The glass was of that old making, crystallized or frosted. Levi could recall the look falling out of style when he was a child, and the fact that he was seeing it again in the present only made the edges of his mouth twitch with irritation.

The inside of the building was a tad nicer than first thought. The carpets were vacuumed, the walls kept clean of smears. There was the monotonous noise of cheap, fluorescent lighting that fell in and out of hearing when making their way down the hall. With his sharp senses, Levi imagined it possible to drive him nuts sooner or later. But for now it only was there, resting in the back of his skull. Pictures of abstract images and shapes were hung on either side. There were photographs of people, too, women and men scantily clothed to show the network of muscles and bones beneath grey skin tones. They were far prettier than the billboard they’d spotted outside, but something was off about them, primarily in the faces. The feline couldn’t quite place his finger on it, but there was a significant feeling of trepidation wafting from each. Their faces expressed deeper discomfort, all of which seeming inexperienced in front of a camera.

Levi only followed Erwin; the blond seemed to know where he was going, after all.

“I don’t like it,” Levi repeated louder. His voice echoed in the staircase, but Erwin only plodded onwards as if the other had said nothing at all. The cat grimaced; this wasn’t fair. Upstairs was colder, unlike the first floor. The air conditioner seemed to work and the feeling of dust clinging to skin was not so prominent. Erwin stopped at the third door down, black, plastic letters spelling out something he could not exactly read. While intelligent, Levi had never spent much time in school. It was why job-hunting was more or less impossible.

Soft cream walls encroached into his sight, the polished wood floors faintly glowing with the natural light beaming in through a glass wall overlooking the vista of skyscrapers rising from crowded, city streets. Clean of fingerprints, the sight was something Levi would have hoped to admire. But there was a stranger coming out from the bathroom nearest the office desk sitting sentry against the left wall. He was lean, youthful, with a boyish air and impressively bright eyes. They sat shadowed beneath fair lashes, turquoise in hue, but speckled with flecks of green kindred to that of a seashell. Levi felt impressed almost, though soon lost interest in the brunet.

“I’ll be with you in a sec.” He dug about behind his cheaply painted desk, Erwin and Levi listening to the man open and slam drawer after drawer. “Just need to find a pen. I think—oh.” The brunet popped his head back up with a vacuous grin quirking thin lips. Shoving a paper folder beneath his arm, the brunet tromped over with his hand outstretched and eager to greet them both.

Erwin accepted it. Levi promptly slithered his hands into the pockets of his jacket. The stranger seemed impervious to the blunt disregard in spite of Levi’s subtle wish to offend. The cat was asocial by nature; it was not uncommon he ignored most any stranger met.

“It’s nice to meet you both. I’m happy you could make it here with the traffic. Real pain in the ass, making it through downtown at eight.” A talkative fellow, Levi noted, Erwin apparently undaunted by it. The blond only agreed heartily, offering a low laugh to further endorse it. 

Frankly, Levi was still mulling over the thought of it being eight in the morning. He hardly ever got up before eleven. What the fuck was Erwin thinking, dragging him here at this hellish hour? No wonder he felt like his eyes were still closed.

“Hopefully it wasn’t too difficult for you two to find? The place is a bit old; I’m only here because the rent’s so damn cheap.”

Grey eyes lidded. Levi was intent to take a nap throughout the causerie.

“It wasn’t bad,” Erwin reassured. Levi felt an elbow push into his rib, digging in and rousing him from whatever doze he’d fallen into. Grimacing, he shot the blond a sour look. Erwin remained impervious. “We took the back roads, so we managed to miss the thick of it.”

The brunet, though quick to initiate his polite introduction, was also quick to end it, tugging out that paper folder previously shoved under his armpit.

“For starters,” he began as he handed a paper toward Levi, “you can call me Eren, and I’ll just need you to fill this out real fast so we can start talking over the details.” Levi looked over the sheet. It was all a mess of shapes and lines to his eyes, the feline staring for a good while before turning the application over to check the back. It was blank. “Here’s a pen,” Eren added, that shit-eating grin still plastered on his tan countenance. Levi’s gaze settled on teal eyes. Erwin could see he was hesitating and didn’t pause to gently peel the paper from Levi’s hand.

“Ah,” hummed the blond, offering Eren a quick, charming smile before returning to look over the questions, “we already filled this out. I replied to your email, right? Erwin Smith?”

The brunet snapped his fingers loudly, the edges of Levi’s lips twitching at the sudden noise.

“Of course! I completely forgot to mention that: broke my laptop last week getting out of my car. Shitty thing practically cracked in half; I haven’t been able to check my email since then. It’s fine. It won’t take long. Nothing bad with the old fashioned way of doings things, right?” There was a momentary pause from Erwin at this, his smile standing strong despite the slight unease swirling beneath blue irises. They rolled in their sockets to glance back over the questions.

“No, no, of course not.”

He was wrong. Levi felt his heart thrum hard in his chest. The low hum interrupted the three men, Eren turning toward his desk to grab at his vibrating phone. Levi noticed it seemed to be as cheap as the rest of Eren’s office, a grey flip-phone with all but anything unnecessary.

“If you’ll excuse me real quick.” He was moving toward the door already, looking back as he let his hand clasp the steel doorknob. “Erwin, was it? Seems I forgot to refill my parking meter. You wouldn’t mind tagging along while he fills out that form again, would you? I had a few more things to ask about before we got any further.”

“Not at all.“

“Erwin,” muttered Levi, trying to catch his attention, command he not leave him here alone. He knew damn well he couldn’t fill out this form. But they were gone before he could stop them, the black-haired man standing lonesome amidst the spacious office. For a time, he simply stood there seething. The application crinkled in his fists. The cat felt like shredding it to pieces and stomping out. It was not like anyone could stop him; Levi was his own entity and he decided what would happen. But it was fate that declared him trapped. Erwin was his ride back and the blond would be no less than furious if Levi were to abandon this ‘gem’ of an opportunity.

He found himself bending over the plastic desk and biting the cap of his pen off. He held it uncomfortably in a fist far too tight to be natural, thumb overlapping the rest of his digits. Might as well half-ass something and make Erwin do the rest when he got back, the cat told himself. He could write his name, couldn’t he? There was nothing to it. Just a few curves and straight lines and—

Grey eyes blinked as if trying to clear his vision, the man pulling his hand back to see what he had just done. It was definitely curved, but there was hardly anything straight about it. Not to mention the letters had begun to tip downwards, committing suicide off the thick, black line offered for him to sign on. But the ‘L’ sure looked nice, if Levi said so himself. While he had never been thoroughly taught English, Erwin had been helping him out with the problem. Dotting the ‘i’ at the end, the circle meticulously colored in and far outweighing the skinny line holding it up, Levi realized that he did not know what Erwin had put for his last name.

Cats didn’t have last names.

What the hell was he supposed to say?

Flushing, the tips of his ears turning a soft pink, the man went about attempting to jot down Erwin’s instead, realizing it would probably look quite awkward. They were almost offensively unrelated to one another by looks and personality. Sharing a last name would put Erwin and himself in a scrutinized position, but Levi honestly did not know what else to do. Better than nothing. It would have to do for now.

Not like he planned on sticking around long, anyways.

With the first question completed and he feeling a bit more capable, Levi dragged the butt of the pen down to the next number and squinted a smidge.

What did that say?

Levi furrowed his brow and tried haplessly to see it more clearly. It didn’t help. The words were beginning to run together, and as he tried saying them slowly, patiently inside of his head, it became a mess. Erwin had said to try it aloud, consciously pause and put a space between each sound and word, and Levi sheepishly took a glance over his shoulder to make double sure no one was around. Not a soul could be heard in or out of the office other than the low sounds of car horns.

He sucked up whatever embarrassment he felt for himself and moved the tip of his pen lightly over the first word.

“Geh—Guh—“ Levi stopped, blood rushing hard into his cheeks. He sounded so fucking stupid. “ _Bullshit_ ,” he hissed, smacking the pen down hard on the desktop and standing up straight. This was useless; he couldn’t read without Erwin. For once, Levi would admit to needing the bastard. The cat crossed his arms over his chest, maroon sweatshirt bunching around his neck and irritating him further. Levi yanked at it.

Fucking stupid Erwin.

Fucking stupid job.

Dragging a hand through his short-cropped hair, Levi supposed it would be best to just wait for the two to come back. He frowned. They’d probably laugh at him, laugh at how pathetically idiotic he was. But, there was not much else he could do, and so he settled down in the rolling chair on the other side of Eren’s desk.

It wasn’t long for them to return, Erwin looking somewhat rushed. Blue eyes looked to grey, Levi sending him a curt, sour glare. The blond should have known he’d need his help, the shithead.

“Sorry about that,” Eren apologized, the feline standing from behind his desk and moving back to wait beside Erwin. He wanted nowhere near the brunet when he saw the unfinished application. Levi was embarrassed enough already. Eren picked the paper up and took his seat back, the chair creaking under his weight. Bemusement filtered in his turquoise eyes, but he seemed to veil it neatly the next second. Levi felt his muscles tense beneath milky skin. Erwin looked to be just as uncomfortable. “Well,” Eren began in a slow voice. The application was placed back down on the table, those bright eyes rising. “I guess I didn’t give you enough time to fill this out. I have some pictures sitting downstairs waiting to be mailed. I’ll let you two finish this up while I get that done. Sound good?”

For a moment Levi was confused. Was he not going to say anything? Surely it was obvious he couldn’t write. Eren couldn’t possibly miss that. Or was he just not going to mention it? Grey eyes fogged with his bafflement and he missed the small grin Eren offered before the brunet was gone.

Erwin moved first, leaning down over the desk and beginning to write down the necessary information. Levi stood quiet behind him with his hands deep in his pockets. Silence overwhelmed them both; the cat would have rather they just left all together.

“Your name looks good.” Levi looked to the blond. Blue eyes were focused on the paper instead of him. “Have you been practicing?”

“It obviously doesn’t matter if I have or haven’t,” hissed the feline, black bangs brushed away with a rough hand. “Couldn’t read a fucking thing.” Erwin finally glanced up from his writing, marble-like countenance becoming sympathetic. Levi turned away. He hated being pitied.

“What couldn’t you read?”

“Shut up.”

“Was it this?” The blond placed the pen over question two, Levi’s face scrunching in annoyance. His silence was as good as any answer. “That’s gender. The ‘g’ makes a ‘j’ sound sometimes. I know it’s confusing.” The smaller man remained silent, but Erwin didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he just continued filling everything out, ignoring the tiny, snarky comments Levi voiced every once in a while. Erwin already knew he didn’t want to be here. Griping wasn’t going to change his mind. “You put my last name as yours?”

The cat’s lips pursed, pretending to find sudden interest in the buildings outside. Blue eyes crinkled in amusement, though Erwin said nothing to further bug him. 

“I don’t have a last name. I hardly have a first name.”

“Of course you have a first name,” Erwin hummed, seemingly used to these squabbles they shared. Levi only rolled his eyes indignantly. “You’re more human than you give yourself credit for.”

“You hardly know me, so don’t start spouting off crap.” Blue eyes met grey, clashing brilliantly against one another. Erwin left the topic to die; it was best not pester Levi too much on the subject of his human half. Besides, the other was under enough stress as it were. The blond filled out the rest of Levi’s application in a dutiful manner, making a mental note for himself to practice writing and reading with Levi soon. Maybe when they got home Erwin could push a lesson onto the younger man. It was apparent they’d been slacking off too much.

All the while was the feline wandering Eren’s office, his hands shoved into his back pockets as he snatched the chance to admire the vista. The sunlight had finally managed to reach above towering, glass buildings. Levi had to avert his gaze so as not to blind himself by the glare, just another reason why he preferred the later hours of the day.

“There,” Erwin spoke after a time. Levi didn’t turn. “Next time, I’m not going to fill this out for you. You’re going to have to do it yourself.”

“Whatever.”

“Not ‘whatever’. You need to be able to read and write on your own. Are you just going to rely on me for the rest of your life?”

Grey eyes became dangerous slits.

“I’m not going to be hanging around for that long, jackass. You’re the one that made me stay, not the other way around. I don’t need to do anything. It’s my life and I’ll do whatever the fuck I want with it.”

Erwin felt a miniscule spark of frustration become hot in his chest, burning behind his broad ribcage and scorching the inside of his throat. While immensely patient, he too had his limits. He wanted to help him; he wanted to make Levi capable of taking care of himself. The blond had found him at the lowest point of the young man’s life, and Erwin only desired to bring him higher, make him stronger. He never wanted to see Levi like that again—or anyone, for that matter.

The door was opening, Eren reentering the office with a few envelopes shoved under his arm. Levi felt almost relieved to see the brunet. He meant an end to Erwin’s and his arguing.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Eren chirped, trotting back over toward his desk before picking up Levi’s application again. Teal eyes rolled side to side as he read through it, the two men waiting beside him standing on shifting feet. “Looks good. Levi, have you ever done photography before?”

Photography? The cat pursed his lips before answering with a low, “No.” He could have guessed this would come up, the pictures hanging around the hallways enough evidence of Eren’s occupation. Levi did not feel comfortable with the thought. He didn’t like his picture being taken; he didn’t like being stared at. It was risky enough for someone like him to be filling out personal information. But Eren only seemed to be further encouraged at his blatant inexperience. His grin returned full force.

“It isn’t hard at all. You’ve got the look to manage without knowing the ropes. I’m sure you’ll do great. I’ve needed a new face for a while and you fit the bill.” Tan hands clasped together over the top of his desk, Eren leaning forward toward the black-haired man. “So, want to give it a shot? We’ll start with a few practice shoots before we try ironing out payment details. If you have the talent, I’ll make sure you get a fair share of the profits we pull in.” Levi’s face scrunched sourly, hesitation forming a lump in his throat.

“He’d love to.”

No, he would not love to.

“Perfect! We’ll start on Monday, eight o’clock.”

No, it was not perfect.

“He’ll be there.” Erwin was already placing a hand on his shoulder to lead him off, the black-haired man silently seething. Eren was quick to add that he’d need to bring a few extra sets of clothes before they left. Again did Erwin answer for the both of them, Levi unable to resist being nudged down the hall and through the staircase.

He felt unable to speak. Pale lips pursed and grew thin across Levi’s sour countenance, the frothing desire to throw a tantrum itching toward the back of his throat—and he certainly could if he so decided to act on those writhing emotions. But he found himself back in Erwin’s car and still deathly silent. The fiery trees passing in a blur outside only reminded him of the rage burning hot underneath his ribs, scorching his lungs, making his organs feel charred. Erwin did not seem to find it appropriate to speak, either. His callous hands were wrung taut around the steering wheel.

Levi had never felt so relieved to see Erwin’s apartment complex. In fact, the minute the lock clicked up was the cat out and stomping up the stairs. He was determined to keep as far away from Erwin as possible; he wanted nothing to do with that asshole. Reaching Erwin’s apartment, pale hands gripped hard at the doorknob. He yanked it hard. It didn’t budge.

Damn locks. Erwin had the key.

Levi, forehead crinkled with agitation, gave a repugnant glare to the other man as he finally caught up and began unlocking the door.

“Could’ve just waited.” Blue eyes met grey and they clashed. Levi was slinking inside without a word of retort before the blond could say anything more, Erwin following soon after. He found the black-haired man settling himself back onto the couch, slumped into the cushions and refusing to meet his gaze. It was not surprising. Erwin felt no personal harm; he was used to Levi’s aggressive—and somewhat fatuous—tendencies. “You must be hungry.”

“I’m not fucking hungry.”

“You still have some tuna left,” droned Erwin, ignoring the cat’s defiance and beginning to snoop around his pantry. There was a minute or two of reluctance on Levi’s part before he moved to lie sideways, feet propped up on the couch’s arm.

“Leave it cold.” A low hum of amusement rumbled in the blond’s chest. As much as the other man wanted to remain an enigma, Erwin felt he practically had him figured out.

He didn’t take long to pry open the last can and empty it out in a bowl. The cat could become quite grumpy when he wasn’t fed at regular intervals, and Levi was already peeved. Erwin didn’t mind much, of course. The younger would get over it soon enough.

Levi did offer the blond a solemn stare as he set his food down on the coffee table, rising with nimble grace and reaching out to yank it closer.

“Hold it.” Erwin snagged the bowl up. Grey eyes narrowed into violent slits.

“Give it back, jackass.”

Levi was instead handed the empty can of tuna.

“Not unless we work on reading. You can start with your tuna cans. I’m tired of cooking for you; if you learn and memorize the directions, I’ll buy some more.” The cat attempted to swipe at the bowl, but Erwin stood at his full height, far out of Levi’s reach. “Nuh-uh.”

“Why are you being a shit?”

“Why can’t you learn to read?” Levi puffed a moment. Erwin swore the black-haired man didn’t even need fur to look fluffed and furious. He did perfectly well right now in his own skin.

“Fine. Fucking _fine_.” The blond gave a wide grin, the cat swatting away the bowl from his hands the minute it came into his reach. But before he could pierce the tender meat and begin raking it into his mouth was Erwin settling beside him on the couch, sinking the cushions and alerting the cat to his far-too-close presence. The blond offered him the empty can.

“Come on. It isn’t that bad, Levi.”

The other gave a snarky breath.

“To you it isn’t,” muttered the black-haired man. Taking the cold can into his palm, Levi looked it over a moment and turned it around to where that white box was. He wasn’t entirely stupid; he at least knew that was where Erwin always looked.

“What’s the first line, the big, bold letters at the top? Read it out to me.”

“Asshole.”

“Levi.“

“Dipshit.”

Erwin gave a heavy sigh and ran his index finger over his temple, Levi already scooping a forkful of tuna into his mouth. He did not read the directions; the can sat forgotten on the coffee table.


	2. Settled

It was still as ugly as before, the sound of Erwin’s car pulling out of the parking lot slowly falling out of hearing. Grey eyes wandered over the shivering scaffolding swaying over the building’s west side. There was the temptation to make a mental note of it, but Levi knew nothing would happen even if it were mentioned. He wouldn’t talk to Eren without a necessity to, and he certainly wasn’t interested in making any small talk. Pale fingers gripped loose around his paper bag. Erwin had bought him some clothes over the weekend. Since they did not have a backpack for Levi to use, he had found himself stuck with the shopping bags received at the store.

It was embarrassing.

At least Eren was not the gaudy sort.

Climbing the stairs and moving down to where he remembered Eren’s office to be, the brunet already had the door standing open. Those bright eyes locked on him almost intensely as Levi stepped inside.

“Levi, you’re right on time.” The cat did not feel as excited as Eren appeared to be.

“Yea, uhm,” he began, lifting his free hand to mess with his right earlobe, “yea.” The brunet offered a short chortle before rising from behind his desk to take a look inside the other’s bag.

“Oh, good. Lots of choices,” the brunet began in a low hum of approval, hand digging into the paper sack and pulling out the first item available. It was a simple, white shirt, and it was the first time Levi had seen it. He trusted Erwin enough with the job of buying his clothes. The blond had a better sense of apparel than he did by far, and Levi had no time to change that.

The cat stood near Eren as the photographer kept pulling clothes out, dropping them on the floor in piles Levi could not differentiate between. Not that he truly cared to understand what the brunet was up to. All he wanted was to get this over with and go home.

“So,” Eren’s voice cut in before the man’s mind could wander further, grey eyes meeting teal, “we’re going to be letting you get used to the camera today, see if you loosen up. There’s no reason to work here if you aren’t comfortable having your picture taken.” Levi wished to announce that he wasn’t at all comfortable with this idea to begin with. He was here by Erwin’s command; they would have never met if it had been Levi’s decision. Even so, it may be impossible to apply here after all. Levi had spent most of his life avoiding cameras, phones, anything that could easily be used to indentify him. He’d seen too many promiscuous billboards with his kind plastered all over them in sultry, slinky styles to enjoy the notion of mimicking.

Not that he’d ever lower himself to such a disgraceful level of desperation.

Levi had far too much pride to even think of acting so nauseatingly _idolized_.

“Levi?” Said man blinked. Eren’s bemused expression had not been noticed before. It soon became one of amusement, that low, purring chuckle making itself known at the back of his throat again. “You’re pretty flighty in the head, huh?”

“I don’t do well with cameras.” Eren’s smile dropped to a controlled grin, those eyes of his twitching to glance between Levi’s own. The black-haired man supposed his bluntness was beginning to dull the sharp edge of Eren’s seemingly undaunted cheeriness. But that was not unusual.

“Well, it’d be a waste of gas to have come here without trying. I’ll take a few and we’ll go from there.”

A frown quirked pale lips. Levi would rather waste the money than his time. But he found himself standing before the glass wall not a minute later, Eren’s tan hands preening his damp hair.

“You cool with a haircut?”

“What?”

“Are you good with me giving you a new haircut if you can get comfortable?” Levi was quiet at the idea. Well, he did need a trim. Erwin had cut his hair after taking him in, Levi having let it grown for a while without much tending to. It wasn’t long now. It reached his neck and brushed over his ears, but it was not long.

“Depends on what you have in mind.”

“You have an edgy look naturally,” started the brunet. “I want to work off that. People are so obsessed with guys who have a strong, sharp look to them, you know? That’s our heading; I’m going to make you look ferocious,” there was a soft pause, teal meeting with grey after a while of avoidance, “like an animal.”

Levi felt his heart thud out of sync. Fear grew like thorny vines up his legs to strangle his spine and make movement impossible. He felt paralyzed. He felt constricted. How had he known? Erwin hadn’t said anything, had he? Levi’s panic embodied itself in a slight leap of his pale shoulders, feeling Eren’s hand grasp him there. “Don’t worry, we aren’t doing nude shots or anything like that. I meant animal as in, like, the face.”

Levi took a steadying breath through his nose, grey eyes still bewildered and wide.

“You know, in your eyes? Ever seen those makeup billboards with the ladies baring their teeth?” The cat tried to think back on anything he might have seen in the past months while driving with Erwin. Yes, he could recall something along those lines. “Those are my pictures, my idea. I’m kind of trying to go against the whole ‘feline’ frenzy going around. Now, I’m sure you’ve heard of that mess, huh?”

Levi remained silent, Eren finally seeming to be pleased with his bangs’ positioning. He’d admit to being curious of what the photographer was going on about, intrigued that someone was actually uninterested in people like him—and with Eren being a human, too. Well, color him surprised. While Levi had set Erwin apart for unknown reasons, perhaps not all of these shits were wholly terrible. Maybe the brunet was a bit more acceptable than once perceived.

“Can’t really escape it,” Levi said after a moment, reminding himself that Eren had proposed a question. Whether or not he had desired a response was not important. Said brunet shrugged, accompanied by a low sigh and a hum as he started messing with his camera.

“Anyways, I’ve been wanting to fix the playing field. Humans can look just as wild, as far as I’m concerned. That’s my goal; that’s what I’m going to try with you.” Teal eyes flashed up to look at him in eagerness. “I’m going to admit, though, you’re my first male candidate. I’m used to working with woman.” Levi didn’t care. So long as he wasn’t put in any awkward position and Eren kept his distance, he felt he could cope.

“Just don’t make me look like one and we’ll be fine.”

“I’ll do my best not to,” chirped Eren. The first flash caught him off guard, Levi’s eyes blinking a moment as he tried to recover. “Just testing the light, is all.”

Oh, yea, the light.

“Morning light is my favorite. That and dusk,” the brunet began to drone, his preferences not interesting Levi enough for the cat to remain mentally. He wandered and drifted, lolling his head to the side as to allow the vista to be glanced over. A hand found his jaw. For a moment, Levi had to remind himself not to scratch. “You look good in front of the window. Let’s try some expressions.” The cat watched Eren as said brunet let his camera hang loose about his neck, tan hands moving into a posture depicting deeper thought. His teal eyes were wandering Levi, scouring his face with the most determined expression. The black-haired man shifted his weight from his left leg to the right. This was going to take some getting used to. “Right, right, good. Now, show me some anger.”

“What?”

“Show me some anger, Levi. Let me see you annoyed. Get ruffled for me, okay?” Eren was already hiding behind that black camera. Its murky, large, lonesome eye glared at him. The cat wanted to shrink.

“I—“ Levi raised a hand to mess with his earlobe, kneading the soft flesh that pressed easily between the pads of his fingers. “I’m not sure what you mean?” Amused, turquoise twins replaced that frightening eye.

“Well, we need some emotion behind the pictures. Can’t have them flat, you know?” Eren reached out to gently release Levi’s grip on his earlobe. “Just think of something that bugs you. We’ll start out small and try to build up. Don’t worry, we’ll take it slow. We have all day ahead of us.”

Well, that thought alone made his insides curl with tartness.

Another flash and Eren’s lips could be spotted quirking at the left side in a smile.

“That’s it! There we go! Need some pushing, is that it?”

“Uhm—“

“Come on, shorty! You can do better than that. I saw the look you came in here with last Friday. Do I need to call Erwin in here to get you annoyed?” Levi felt his cheeks heat against whatever desire he harbored to remain temperate. That was just uncalled for.

“Hey,” he tried, that damn flash interrupting him every uncounted second, “what the fuck is your problem?” Eren didn’t reply, only crept to the side with those spindly legs of his. Levi would have thought his movement graceful if not for his current mood. “I asked you a question. Are you deaf?” That black eye still pinned him against the window, still burrowed into his face like a spotlight.

“That’s _perfect_ , Levi! Keep it up!”

Whatever cap Erwin had forced onto his temper came off, the inner ‘pop’ almost noticeable behind strong ribs as Levi raised a claw-like hand to grab the camera’s front lens. It was now that Eren took a step back, his sudden zeal overcome by a look of puzzlement. Smooth skin tightened around grey eyes.

“Don’t call me names.” His voice was strong, demanding, and the brunet let out a tiny laugh.

“Sorry, Levi. Thought I was helping you out a bit.” Levi did not understand how Eren thought it wise to mock him. He could easily scratch the brunet’s nose off if pushed hard enough, even if Erwin would have a cow.

It continued like that for a while, Eren quieting himself down to simple causerie instead of insults whilst Levi remained ruffled. There wasn’t a need to collect his thoughts; he needed to look angry for the pictures, anyways. The cat allowed himself to sulk until lunchtime, when the brunet stopped moving him around the room and into stiff positions. Levi settled down in the seat offered to him in front of Eren’s desk as the other took position across. The photographer’s teal eyes were intently fixated on his camera, and Levi would have admitted to being curious if not for still feeling wounded at the teasing suffered prior. Steely, grey irises rolled about as the cat preoccupied himself with his surroundings. It didn’t do much; this office had been the only source of entertainment for the past few hours or so. He could have built three more by memory and they’d match. Levi had practically memorized the imaginary patterns in the wood floors by now.

“Looks good.” Eren’s voice almost scared him, pale shoulders hopping before Levi could stop them. The brunet didn’t seem to notice. “You’re not bad at all. I’ll blow these up tomorrow and we’ll work from there.” The photographer looked up. “How about it? You still interested in helping me out?”

The cat apathetically shrugged. It hadn’t been _too_ terrible, and if it got Erwin off his back then he was definitely going to take the bait.

“It’s not hard,” was all Levi could honestly say, not mentally in the right place to give a firm ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Eren accepted it as if it were the former and placed his camera down.

“Great! That’s great. I’m excited to work with you, Levi.” His excitement and earnestness was a jarring relief to the black-haired man. No one ever was excited to be around him. While Erwin was a kind, caring person, he was still quite a man in the sense that—while the blond held some sort of desire for Levi’s safety—he relied heavily on the acts of his hands instead of the words on his mind. But that fit the cat well enough, not overly affectionate himself to begin with. He’d only ever been so daring as a child, the acts of love and trust long since forgotten with time.

But Eren seemed quite set in those ways—or whatever personality Levi attributed to that of a kid: truthful, honest, and harmless. The brunet was generally nice without a notable desire for equal distribution from the opposite party. He gave without expecting anything in return. Eren offered him kindness when he remained surly. “Would you want to eat lunch with me?”

“What?”

“Would you like to have lunch with me? I know a good pizza place right down the road and I’m sure you’d love it.” Eren’s smile was back, though Levi found it less of a nuisance this time around. Lunch? Erwin usually was the one to eat lunch with him when he got back from work. He’d taken him to restaurants before, but never with anyone else. Hell, the cat had only ever been to one with Erwin at all. Usually the food in whatever house he was staying in was what he mooched off of. Restaurants were just too expensive—not to mention crowded with humans. Levi quietly looked back to the paper bag he’d brought. Erwin had made him a sandwich that morning, but it didn’t seem as enticing as pizza.

Even if humans were scumbags, they sure made a lot of nice food.

Levi shrugged with a small, “I guess,” and looked over turquoise eyes. The brunet was quick to grab his keys and get up. Before Levi had much time to rethink his decision, he found himself in the other man’s car, buckling himself in and looking about the interior.

It was nothing like Erwin’s, but the seats were lined with soft, plush fabric that the cat felt prompted to claw. Erwin still hadn’t bought him a scratching post. The need was itching like mad.

“You’re going to love this place. It’s so good,” Eren was already piping up. “My friend took me a few weeks ago and I can’t stop going back. You like pizza, right?” The cat nodded. “Who wouldn’t?” It was true; Levi couldn’t think of not liking pizza. However it may upset his stomach at times, his hunger was undaunted.

They were parking not minutes later and Levi leaned forward to try and get a glimpse of the building. The neon sign was bright despite being turned off for the daytime, red, curvy letters he could not make out. It looked fancy. Levi thought differently as Eren led him inside. The walls were covered in pictures and t-shirts and innumerous trinkets he did not recognize. They were all eye-catching, big letters with bright, bold colors to attract attention. Too bad he couldn’t read a damn thing.

“You don’t have money, do you?” Levi looked to Eren as he spoke, suddenly remembering that he, in fact, could not pay for this. Well, that was just his luck. After telling the brunet that Erwin hadn’t given him any money to spend, the photographer scratched his cheek in some thought. “You can just pay me back later. You seriously need to try this stuff.”

Grey eyes watched in bemusement as Eren did so, buying him whatever it was Levi had found to look appealing and snagging a table by the front windows. The cat sat somewhat stiff in his chair. He wasn’t used to being in public without Erwin. The blond usually was keeping him in check and doing everything for him. Without the idiot, Levi felt almost exposed.

But there was some semblance of peace when he looked to the brunet across the table. Eren was comforting, in some respect. He hardly gave off the terrible vibes his counterparts did, and Levi was curious as to why. Compiling a mental list of what he needed to ask Erwin about later that day, he went about nibbling, ignoring the silverware Eren had gotten him and simply shoving the slice in his mouth. An amused chuckle caught his attention.

“You sure are weird.”

Levi sat still at the comment, hands holding whatever he could not stuff into his mouth whilst grey eyes found teal. What was wrong? Had he dropped something on his shirt? Tearing off what he could grip between his teeth, Levi looked down at himself. Another laugh filtered from across the table. The cat felt a flare of frustration rise in his throat.

“What?” he managed around the food in his cheek, brow furrowing indignantly.

“You’re just quirky. It’s cool; don’t worry.”

Quirky? What was quirky? What did quirky mean?

“I told you not to call me names.”

“No, no, I mean you’re different. It’s refreshing. It isn’t every day you find someone like you.” Levi was prompted to inquire further, but he felt skittish on the topic. Eren had already frightened him with his subliminal jabs, which may or may not have been purposeful. The last thing he needed was for someone to realize he was a cat. He’d spent a good, long time keeping that under wraps and he wasn’t interested in fucking it up now. “It’s easy to see the same personality in this business. I hardly ever meet people as honest as you are. I didn’t mean to be rude. I meant it as a compliment.”

Levi supposed that made some sense, even if he still felt like his ass was on pins and needles. If anyone were to discover he was a werecat, the man didn’t know how he’d cope. But for now, he nodded, accepting the compliment and returning to shoveling food into his mouth.

They did not speak much after that. Levi somehow felt comfortable. 

 

The room had long since fallen dark around him, but the cat did not notice. His eyes were plastered to the screen, sitting only a foot away with wide, interested eyes. Erwin had gone back to his room an hour ago and left the TV on for him. It was a rare occurrence, since the blond typically wanted Levi in bed before he left him alone. While they’d been together for a few months now, it was not uncommon that Levi broke something on accident whilst Erwin dozed. It had been an old flowerpot last time. The blond had seemed upset, and Levi could recall some guilt following the incident. But now was the cat fully attentive to the people on screen, the loud sounds of guns and punches mesmerizing him. He wished he, too, could be so strong and fast. Levi had never seen a real gun, but the ones on TV were impressive.

Sitting crisscross on the carpet with his hands in his lap, Levi jumped when a man in black erupted from behind a corner. Of course, a bullet hole was between his eyes not a second later, the cat’s mouth hanging open in surprise.

He’d never gotten to watch movies before, and Erwin had so many.

Levi’s shoulders jumped when another man leapt from a stairwell, guns yanked from their holsters and a cigarette clenched between his teeth.

If he’d sat any closer to the screen, the cat would have had his nose pressed against the glass.

“Levi, you should be in bed.” Erwin’s voice surprised him, the black-haired man turning to look down the hallway. Erwin was standing there with his broad shoulders, one hand lazily scratching his back as he made his way toward where Levi had perched himself hours ago. “What are you watching?” Blue eyes glanced over the TV. There was a fistfight going on, two men struggling and throwing each other from side to side, table to table. A sigh escaped the blond. “You don’t need to be watching this.”

“You’re not my fucking mom,” the cat hissed and only returned his attention to the movie. It went black a second later, Levi’s face turning devastated. Now how would he know who died?

“Go to bed. You can watch the rest tomorrow. It isn’t going anywhere.” The most the smaller man could muster was a vicious glower, head lowered. “If you don’t get some sleep, you’re going to be exhausted tomorrow.”

“So what? It’s my choice.”

“My castle, my rules.”

“How about I claw your sheets to shreds?”

“I can easily declaw you if that’s what you want.” Levi tensed, a look of horror crossing his pale countenance. He wouldn’t dare, would he? Erwin’s mouth curved into a smirk at the cat’s surprise. “That’s what I thought. Now, go to bed.”

There wasn’t much he could say to that threat. Grunting and cursing beneath his breath, Levi got to his feet and moved back to where his mattress was. The cat listened to Erwin’s footsteps fade down the hallway, the sound of his door clicking shut the last thing he heard before silence filled the living room. Levi shoved his face into his pillow. He was tired, sure, but movies were far more entertaining than sleep—and that was saying something. Napping was by far one of his most favorite hobbies, and to think he chose something over it even surprised Levi. Minutes passed and still did his eyes remain open. The ceiling was becoming a thing of interest, the man counting the shadows he could see in hopes of boring himself to death. It didn’t work.

Rolling onto his side, Levi clutched the sheets around his shoulder, letting his eyes fall shut. The silence that filled the room was unnaturally disturbing, grey eyes opening to see black. When had he ever been scared of the dark? Typically, the black-haired man couldn’t sleep without it, but right now it made his stomach twist uncomfortably. The repetitive sound of gunshots was still echoing about his skull. Humans couldn’t do that in real life. It must be exaggerated; it wasn’t natural to kill so many people, was it?

The cat rolled onto his other side. The sound of the refrigerator dropping ice caused Levi to launch up into a sitting position, eyes flickering to a soft, reflective yellow. The darkness cleared, but he saw no one. He was alone. Pursing thin lips, Levi attempted to lie down and roll onto his stomach instead. He was being overdramatic. Erwin’s apartment complex was the safest place he’d ever stayed in. There was nothing to be afraid of.

Yet, his hearing had somehow become acute. Every noise, every breath of wind against the wind chimes outside, every thump from neighboring apartments, Levi digested it all with panicked fervency. Muscles clenched taut beneath pale skin despite Levi’s desire to control his nerves. Soon he was getting up, unable to stand the paranoia that so quickly settled beneath his ribs and evidently ignoring his pride for the time being. Erwin’s door was opened with little delicacy. The blond let out a stifled grunt of surprise as he sat up, apparently already having fallen asleep.

“Levi? What’s the matter?” Erwin hardly had to deduce who was lurking beside his bed. The two yellow eyes that flickered dimly were enough to tip him off.

Upon being asked what was wrong, Levi became quiet. How exactly was he supposed to say he was frightened? Never had he requested Erwin pointblank for help. The cat was a proud creature, more willing to sacrifice his dignity before looking to someone else for his own problems. Now, unable to form a lie that made sense, Levi could only stand beside the blond’s bed with mounting hesitation. Erwin’s smooth face became that of confusion, a hint of annoyance creasing between strong brows.

“Levi, if you’re here to pout, I’m going to throw you back down the hallway—“

“I can’t sleep.”

Erwin grew silent. The younger’s honesty was—to say the least—shocking. At least, Levi was certain the other saw it like that. For a while it remained that way, blue eyes jumping between grey as if seeking out a ploy. He found none.

“You can’t sleep?” The cat nodded. Again did Erwin appear befuddled and without a response. Eventually did he thaw out, sighing heavily with a short, “I told you not to watch that movie.”

“It’s not about the shitty movie,” hissed Levi, his pupils becoming thinner, ebony slits amidst sulfur-like yellow.

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Your goddamn wind chimes are too fucking loud.”

“Those have never bothered you before.”

“They are now.”

“What do you want me to do about it? It’s practically two in the morning, Levi,” Erwin finally huffed, pushing up. Levi harrumphed. “Are you trying to ask if you can stay in here? Is that the problem?”

“Like you haven’t asked me to sleep in here before, you senile bastard.” It was as much of an admittance as the blond would get, and Erwin seemed to allow it. He always did; Levi got away with things far more than he should have.

“Alright, fine. But I’m not going to put up with fur in my bed. Don’t even think about it.” The cat was prompt to saddle up over the bed, rudely crawling over the blond to settle himself on the empty side. Erwin gave a glare that could not be seen through the dark, but he did eventually lie back down passively. He was too tired to argue with the other right now. He wanted to sleep. The blond was going to be working longer tomorrow with all the paperwork he had to fill out. A sigh left his lungs; if Levi kept him up, Erwin swore he’d skin him.

But he found the other unmoving, the cat’s breathing evening out before Erwin could even slow his thoughts down to a crawl. It was odd. He didn’t think Levi would feel safe enough to sleep in here—with him of all people, too. Not that he saw it as a bad thing, no. It was progress. Soon, perhaps, Levi would trust him enough to let his guard down further. The thought brought warmth in his stomach, Erwin forcing his eyes closed. It wasn’t the time to be thinking of the future. Levi could easily be gone in a matter of days, weeks, or months. He had no control over him and he could not make him stay. It was what worried the blond most. While the younger would never admit to it, Levi simply could not manage alone. He wasn’t educated, didn’t have a job, barely had a grasp of money, and his determination to isolate from humans would only drag his opportunities under.

Erwin simply couldn’t allow Levi to ruin himself. So long as he could help, Erwin would make sure the younger would remain above water. Levi could push and fight him all he wanted; the blond wasn’t going anywhere.

His thoughts paused when warm hands pressed against his back. Erwin looked over his shoulder and saw a mess of black hair. Fingers kneaded his shoulder blades, the man’s fingernails causing chill bumps to rise across tan arms. The blond didn’t wake him, though. Levi had done this before on the rare occasions he felt inclined to be temperate. It wasn’t too bad, either, Erwin could admit. So he allowed it, leaning back as Levi’s fingers continued to press against his muscles, the cat’s warmth spreading out beneath the sheets.

Erwin hadn’t slept so deeply in years, and neither had Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like building things slowly and I apologize. Do not fret. The next chapter is going to start picking up and the actual plot will be introduced. Also, the rating may jump to explicit. Levi's background is not very nice, but I can assure you it will at least be a meaty chapter next time.  
> Thank you all for the continued interest!


	3. Consternation

The veranda was hot beneath his feet, the sun baking over the white tile and heating it to a comfortable oven-like temperature. It was practically a haven of sorts for him, belly pressed flat onto the sleek surface with paws outstretched. A sigh, something soft, breathy, flittered from his lungs and out a pink nose, Levi opening yellow eyes to glance briefly over the view before him. The apartment complex across the street was bleaker than usual, the coming of winter discouraging most people from planting any new flowers on their windowsills. Usually, it was a flare of blossoms, bright bulbs shaking in the wind whipped up from the cars below. Levi let his eyes fall shut again, relaxing and swiping his tongue across his maw. His whiskers were sticky; Erwin had left a cup of juice on the counter and Levi had made it his priority to taste.

Not a good idea. Erwin’s choice in food was as poor as everything else he decided on. Though he did like the games Erwin brought home for him, the toys he had purchased a while back. Levi was still waiting impatiently on a scratching post and a place for him to sit, but right now was he too tired to complain. Wouldn’t matter much anyways, seeing as the blond was off at his job. A policeman, or so the cat presumed due to the blue uniform and badge Erwin sauntered out the door in each day. Not too shabby of a job. Not that it would change Levi’s view of Erwin anytime soon; policemen had never treated him fairly—or anyone of his kind, for that matter.

There was the distant sound of a car honking, grey ears instinctively perking forward to capture the noise. Annoying, the sounds of the city; Levi was content with Erwin’s choice to live a few miles outside downtown. It was not nearly as busy around their apartment complex.

Golden eyes peeled open at that thought.

 _Their_ apartment?

No, no, it was definitely not ‘their’ apartment. It was Erwin’s apartment, and he was only a stray. The cat reassured himself he would be packing up and leaving as soon as he grew tired of this environment as he had numerous times before. That, or Erwin decided to show his true colors. Humans tended to be that way: cunning and sly until opportunity was spotted. Levi didn’t put it past the blond. He was physically bigger than him, strong and muscular and at least a head taller. Erwin would have no issue bringing him down, but Levi was quicker than he was and would not hesitate to flee.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t run from fights before. He wasn’t good at it and most of his pride was squashed as a child, anyways.

A chilled breeze stroked through smoky fur, scraped against his warm skin. Why was his coat not thickening up? Levi flopped onto his side so as to give it some attention from the warm tile, his belly puffing out as he sighed. Erwin had mentioned him getting a bit rounder these days—or _plush_ , as he put it.

The jackass meant he was getting fat and lazy and Levi damn well knew it. No amount of sugarcoating and charming grins or low chuckles could make him admit that Erwin was not always too terrible to be around. The tip of his tail bobbed with his aggravated thoughts, toes curling a bit as he brought them closer to his chest. The only thing bad about being alone all day was perhaps the thoughts it brought up. And, then again, he was working with Eren most of the week nowadays. He’d seen him last on Friday. Eren had brought scissors and a razor with him and Levi had nearly jumped out of his own flesh, practically swapped forms to better flee the scene and escape whatever haunting terror the brunet had planned for him.

He’d denied any haircut so soon, made worried by the magazine pictures the photographer had brought to show him style ideas. They were all modern and swanky. Levi felt intimidated by the outcome of letting Eren get at his hair like that, especially since he was not a trained hair stylist. Hell, he didn’t even let Erwin take the stray tuffs of fur from his pelt. It was his job and he could handle it.

No, a haircut was not appreciated. Eren had almost appeared to pout at his refusal, but the subject had been left alone afterwards.

Yellow eyes flickered open immediately when he felt pressure across his side, large, strong fingers smoothing over his belly and causing a loud yowl to escape his lungs.

“Levi— _Christ_ , it’s just me,” Erwin growled and retracted his hand as if the cat were a hot stove. Levi soon was able to roll back onto his paws, back arched and fluffed along his spine. Those black pupils were tapering, but a hand still cupped his head after Levi batted it haplessly with a clawless paw. “Cool it, tiger. I brought you food.” The blond stood after bobbing Levi’s head under his much larger hand. Even for a young man, Levi’s feline body still seemed small in comparison to the cats that roamed the apartment complex. He was tiny; Erwin could easily cover all of the other’s stomach with just his palm. Made it easy to scoop him up and out of the way if he was wandering around at night, even if Levi had a cow when his paws weren’t touching the floor. Levi had said he didn’t like to be ‘manhandled’, to which Erwin just chuckled over.

He had left the bags on the counter, Levi padding after the giant with some eagerness. Erwin was not half bad at buying him things, especially food. Though he could only sit on his haunches and look up at the blond as he began digging through paper sacks, meowing a bit to try and let him see. Erwin seemed to be unaware, happily unloading his own food and wandering back and forth between the groceries and the pantry. Another meow, calm still, before he reached out to catch the man’s pant’s leg with his claws. To this, he finally garnered a reaction, though it was just Erwin lifting his foot up till Levi was balancing on his back feet. A low, gurgling noise was frothing in the cat’s chest, ears flattening as he if were about to bite.

“What do you want?”

Levi hissed at him indignantly.

“Let go of my leg so I can put the groceries up. I’ll show you what I bought when I’m done. Don’t be so snippy.” Erwin set his foot down and took a step, hearing another strangled hiss when the weight on his leg remained. Cerulean eyes turned hard, though softened when he noticed the cat trying to get his paw unstuck. A part of him, a passive aggressive side, caused the policeman to chuckle. “You shouldn’t have clawed my pants, Levi. Now you’re stuck.”

He was not hard to slide around either, Erwin making a swaying move with his leg as he turned whilst Levi slid behind in his wake. The younger was screaming and hissing, trying to use his back feet to push himself away but finding no traction. The blond could only take it for so long. After getting Levi’s claws out of his pants, Erwin let out a grunt of his own, feeling teeth press against his skin in a warning. The grey cat bit him experimentally, not piercing his skin but hard enough to get the taller to back up.

“That wasn’t very nice.” Not that he imagined Levi cared. They had been on better terms lately, but that might have been due to the other being unable to talk half the time. He liked his feline body over his human one, though at times did Erwin find Levi chattering about only to stop and leave. It was apparent that he forgot the policeman could not understand him. Still, even now was he walking between Erwin’s legs to try and keep his attention. Levi was determined to get what was his; he didn’t care if Erwin wanted to put groceries up.

Besides, he’d been bored all day long without the blond opening doors for him. The jackass had shut his room again, thus blocking off access to his bed. It was where Levi preferred to perch himself when the man was not there to annoy. He quite liked Erwin’s room. Not that there was much else to do but nap. That, and wander about outside, which was somewhat unsettling in his gut. Being outside Erwin’s apartment meant he was not safe anymore. Sleeping here and being alone had turned Levi soft, or so he viewed it. Before, the streets had been his homestead, where he tromped and ate and spent most of his time. They were disgusting and difficult to manage, but that was all he really knew.

But now, in this home, it was nice.

He could sleep wherever he so desired without fear of attack or intrusion, recently abandoning his frequented hiding perches to sleep comfortably on the couch and dressers, beneath lamps and even on Erwin’s pillow. Not that the guy liked it. He said he left fur everywhere, but Levi didn’t really catch any hint of true dislike. The blond was easy to read no matter how much he tried acting. It was not Erwin’s gift to be a liar.

“Alright, come on,” called Erwin, bringing Levi out of his inner monologue to trot towards awaiting hands. While being carried was not something the cat made a hobby out of, there was no way he could jump onto the counter by himself. He was far too short. Warm, gentle hands slid beneath his stomach and picked him up, though Levi growled when he found himself pressed to Erwin’s broad chest instead of placed on cool marble. “Hush.”

 _You hush, asshole_ , Levi thought, though it came out as a low grumble. It was a shame he could not flog the other with his tongue—even if a nice bite on the arm would suffice, if not leave a better reminder. The puffing of his fur was redolent enough of that alongside the light protrusion of claws.

Though yellow eyes pinpointed the last full bag on the counter before Erwin, pupils swelling with interest at the unrecognizable name. It started with a ‘T’, but that was all he could make out. He really needed to get on that, Levi supposed.

“Now, I know you’re going to be angry at me,” the blond began, “but I went through a lot of trouble finding something that would work for you.”

Work for him?

What on Earth was Erwin meaning to say?

Toys were always fine. A scratching post would be preferred, but Levi would take whatever he offered for free. Tan, callous fingers pulled out a bundle of paper wrapping, Levi finding himself pressing his paws against the other’s chest and trying to wriggle out from being squashed between the man’s side and arm. Daintily placed on the marble countertop, the grey cat settled back on his rump to watch the blond unwrap everything almost painstakingly slow. Levi decided to chatter a bit, ears twitching forward at every scrape of nails on wrapping, of every little rip of what sounded like Velcro.

Velcro? What toy had Velcro? The cat puffed a moment and rose back to try stepping closer, sniff at Erwin’s hands and see if it smelt like those toys with treats inside. The blond had not bought him many things other than tuna since Levi himself didn’t know what he’d enjoy. Shopping was not a hobby of his now and he didn’t feel like pursuing it at the time.

But soon was Erwin holding up something terrible. It was soft looking, though a horrific shade of electric blue. There were letters printed onto it in large, oppressive font, but Levi could not make out what they said.

A tiny sweater, it seemed, made for kittens and the like. A shudder rolled down the feline’s spine as he sat back on his haunches and licked his nose. This was not interesting. He did not want that putrid thing.

“It’s almost the middle of November, Levi. It’s going to get real chilly around here. I haven’t had the time to buy a better cat bed for you, so you’re going to need to wear this when you’re a cat,” the blond was saying, but Levi only eerily looked up at him, pupils narrowed. The policeman gave it a moment, turning the tiny sweater to fit over his hand as he allowed cerulean irises to read over the words. “It doesn’t say anything rude, Levi. I promise.”

Levi gave an indignant meow.

“Do you want me to read it?”

A lower, vibrating noise of approval sounded from the small cat. Erwin looked back down at the sweater.

“My owner is purr-fect.” A hiss cut him off nearly at the end, Levi rising onto his paws and arching his back. Erwin grimaced. “It’s not like you’re going to wear it outside. You’ll want it when it snows. My apartment has enough windows to make things miserable during the winter. Trust me, you’re going to need this.”

Immediately was Levi padding off and dodging a swipe of Erwin’s hands. Gracefully landing on the tile floor, the blond watched as Levi sulked off, tail low and stiff. He seemed morose, if not downright frustrated.

Erwin did not move to follow. He would come back when he cooled down.

Levi did so eventually, Erwin eyeing the raven as he plodded down the hallway and into view. He was human again, fingers folding up the sleeves of his sweater whilst ignoring eye contact. Not surprising. Levi must have known Erwin did not expect him to sit around all day.

Said blond made a snapping noise with his newspaper. “We need to practice reading.” Steel irises rolled to eye him.

“I’m going out.” That caught his attention, Erwin sitting up from his slouched posture on the couch to give a bemused mien. Levi had his back to him. “I’ll probably be out for a few hours. Don’t wait up on me if you get hungry.” They usually ate supper together, if only for the sole reason Levi couldn’t cook to save his damn life. Tuna was easy enough, but he got sick of it sometimes. Eren had showed him a lot of new restaurants with food he’d never tasted. The black-haired man reminded himself to ask for pizza eventually. That was practically better than tuna.

Erwin was quiet for the time, though. Levi had expected him to say something at the very least, but when the cat turned to eye the blond was he back to reading. Odd, but Levi didn’t mind. He’d rather Erwin let him do as he pleased. Moving back toward the hallway, he slipped into his shoes prior to Erwin finally clearing his throat.

“Try to be back before dark.”

In that small moment, Levi didn’t move. Nighttime was not actually a delicate thought right now. While he found the urge to stretch his legs, there was a heavy trepidation that followed him when there was no protection from strangers. It wasn’t unusual. Hate crimes were not out of the ordinary against Werecats. Many people still found them to be worthless and unnecessary; they found sanctity in murdering them.

Even so, Levi only offered a low grunt of agreement. Erwin knew he didn’t like the night either and certainly would be back at the apartment before nine—or at least when the sun began to sink. Levi made sure to lock the door behind him.

 

Things had not changed much between the span of time he’d begun living with Erwin to now. The streets were still dirtied, pipes puling for attention overhead down the sides of buildings. Levi paid little attention to the dilapidated sights. He had wandered a bit too far anyways and now the sky was becoming a deep orange. Soon enough the skyscrapers would block what little light had remained and he would be left to rely on streetlamps. The thought was a worrisome. Alleyways sat in tenebrous silence on either side of the man, openings acting as gaping maws ready to devour him if he dared step nearer. Levi managed to remain in control over his paranoia somehow. His shoes scratched the pavement. The cat quickened his gait.

“Hey, wait a sec.” Immediately did his legs lock up, joints feeling as if ice had crusted over them. Levi felt he could not move. “Hey, hey,” the voice continued as it approached from behind, accompanied by heavy footsteps. They were jogging.

The cat turned briefly, though the difficulty made his shoulders softly shake. Four of them, human by the smell, were moving toward him in a pack. Cold sweat clung beneath his coat, glossed over his skin like a primer. While his instinct was to flee, Levi still felt his joints to be frozen over.

The shade cast from apartment buildings masked their faces. Whatever major definitions Levi could have remembered were hidden under gloom. Erwin had taught him to do so if ever attacked: check for any bold differences in their look that set them apart from the rest. Made finding them later a hell of a lot easier.

“Why’d you run?” one asked, seemingly innocent. His confusion sounded genuine and his hand was already knocking back his hood to reveal shaggy, blond hair. The ice that had clutched his bones felt weaker, Levi turning a bit more toward them with his hands still shoved in his pockets. Perhaps they simply needed directions. Then again, they looked to live around here.

The momentary wave of peace, though, was rocked by trepidation. Steel irises roamed over a familiar face, that of someone he had once met before moving in with his previous human. The cold gripped him again in a vice. The last bits of sunlight sank out of view, street lamps finally noticeable in the darkness left behind.

His mind slowed when they moved, a hand fisting into his black scruff and causing a horrified yowl to escape the confines of his lungs. Levi felt himself lock up on contact, the tight hold in his hair forcing him still. But he could see them, watch one’s hands pad around a belted waist and expose the blade that was hidden there. It was small, compact, something specifically sized for discrete carrying. Erwin’s voice filtered in the back of his mind.

_The tips break easy when they hit bone. That’s usually what we check for first._

“Come on, pussycat,” a voice, hot, puffed into his ear. The cat let out a whine as the hold on his hair yanked his chin up, pale neck exposed further. He still felt he could not move. “You have a little girlfriend anywhere with you? We’ve been looking all over for one. I heard they suck cock cheap.” Nausea bounced in his stomach, but if it was due to the words spilling from cruel lips or the terror that racked his quaking body, Levi didn’t know. Cold steel slid across his cheek, the flat side of the blade made to press there. His stomach contracted. The hold in his hair tightened.

“No,” Levi made out, his breath a wisp before it was blown away. The men seemed to digest his words and decide for themselves, without asking, if they were honest or not, and while they did so was Levi feeling acid in his blood. Erwin had told him not to do this. How had that bastard known?

“No girlfriend?” the one asked. “Not even a friend?” Steel slid lower against his cheek, leaving a white line to fade on his flesh. Levi attempted to speak again, but his mouth betrayed him with tremulous whimpers, eyes shining as they rolled and panicked in their sockets. The blond seemed to watch him for a second before his lips twisted into a sneer. “Fucking freak. I could skin you alive if you weren’t in your skin,” he hatefully spat, but the anger still left Levi confused. These men, though perhaps residents around here, were unknown to him. The cat had wandered around this area most of his life. If he had recognized faces, then an attack would have made sense. But, instead, these were complete strangers. They had nothing against him other than the fact he was a Were, and that alone made Levi’s skin crawl.

The hold on his scruff was loosening from time to time, allowing more movement than before, though hardly enough to fight back. Pale fingers twitched uselessly at his sides as the blade ran lower and over his Adam’s apple, which bobbed with a panicked, thick swallow.

“If we can’t find a girl, we’ll just have to hurt you instead.” The hold on his scruff returned to iron.

 

His fingers drilled across the top of the kitchen counter, the drumming filling his senses and standing singular in the room. It was the only noise left, Erwin having turned off the television a while back in order to try and listen for the doorbell, for footsteps, for any sign of Levi’s return. While he was surely less than obedient concerning Erwin’s curfews, it was unlike the cat to dismiss them entirely. Even now was it dark outside, the lights of cars spreading out from the street below, shining on the apartments across the street before vanishing around the bend.

Erwin had long since changed into his sweatpants, long since tried to sleep and place his trust in Levi to get back on time. But after around thirty minutes of silence, the cop had given up. His anxiety was running rampant. Where was he? Levi never stayed out this long. Erwin knew he was skittish of strangers, of walking around without protection, and wandering at this hour was unlike him. He did not even allow the veranda to be opened after the streetlamps turned on, saying people could climb up somehow and sneak in during the night.

Levi’s paranoia even rivaled his own, and Erwin was quite the worrywart.

Such shown now as his bare feet tapped the tile while the blond paced. There was a temptation to go out and search for him. He couldn’t have gone far. It had only been two hours or so since he left, but even that was too much. Levi also had no reason to abandon. He had clothes here, food here, a job here, and they had not been fighting nearly as much as they used to. His life was far better here; if the cat didn’t realize that, Erwin would be at a loss. Cerulean eyes glanced over to the counter and settled on the blue sweater he had gotten Levi earlier today, the white letters standing bold even in the dimness that was his apartment.

Erwin found himself picking it up again for the hundredth time, feeling the plush material beneath his fingers. Certainly this had not bugged Levi _that_ much, had it? The word ‘owner’ was definitely a sore spot, but they had already discussed that. Levi, in Erwin’s eyes and apartment, was just as human as he was and did not belong to anyone. They had set the grounds during the first month, and Levi had seemed surprised at his own fervency to give him equal titles. It was not unusual. Erwin had long since come to see the other’s busted confidence. His pride was mangled and raw to the touch, his snippiness due to bleeding wounds that had not yet healed.

While he desired to try mending them up however best he could, the cat was still sitting far out of Erwin’s reach.

There was the sound of the doorbell buzzing. Erwin wasted no time hurrying to it, unlocking the door and feeling his muscles clench in response to the sight outside.

He was battered across his face, blood dripping down from his nostrils and dangling off the underside of his chin. One, dark eyebrow was busted, the skin beneath crying gore over a swollen eyelid. His lips were parting, Erwin noticed as he reached forward to tug Levi closer, get him inside where he could properly clean his face up.

“Levi, who did this?” The blond’s voice was interlaced with fringes of pain, though weighed heavy and low with bottled rage. The black-haired man said nothing, mouth hanging open a bit as he took in quaking breaths. “Levi, who did this to you?” Erwin tried again, already having brought the other into the kitchen where he could clean his face off.

“I want a haircut.” Tanned hands slowed at the words, confusion filling blue irises. Levi only looked at his broad chest, black, sweat-slicked bangs clinging to his bloodied brow. “I want to cut my hair.”


	4. Biliousness

“It looks awful.” That was all he could see: the short-cropped undercut that rose to his ears leaving only a mop of black hair to sit atop his head. Levi didn’t even notice the repugnant snort Erwin gave or the glower of his barber. All he could see was his reflection, and God, how he hated it. While looks were something he cared little to maintain, even he had a limit. “This looks like horse shit.”  


“Levi, shut your damn mouth,” the blond muttered beside him, Erwin’s blue eyes straining to meet Levi’s. At the command, Levi withheld a hiss. The feline could have easily taken a chomp out of the barber’s hand if he’d so desired, yet he hadn’t. He could have made a bigger scene, but he wasn’t. Levi opened his mouth to holler at the policeman before a hand was tugging him outside. Despite his fury, Levi was busy catching his feet.  


“You asked for it to be cut that way. He did his best,” Erwin was starting up as he herded the smaller toward the car. “The next time to you shit on someone publically, you better be ready for my foot.”  


“Put your dick back in your pants.” Erwin slammed the door shut after settling in the driver’s seat. Levi only found it as more opportunity to speak, swollen eye putting a damper on his glare. “I don’t have to respect him and I certainly don’t have to respect you—“  


“You should respect the man that hasn’t turned you in, twat.” Blue eyes were clashing, Erwin’s callous palm placing his car back into park. His hulking body turned, muscle evident beneath his collared shirt, his coat, Levi almost recoiling. His pale hand slid over the door. Erwin locked it. “If you’re going to be with me, you damn well are going to respect me. You’ve leeched off my money, my apartment, torn up my furniture, and now you have the balls to press your luck. Do you think I’m patient?” The feline was pressing his back into his leather seat by now, claws leaving bloody pinpricks against his palm. “I am not patient.”  


For once, Levi had nothing to spit back. Lips curled to show white teeth, the shaved hair at the back of his neck rose, but no sound escaped. His stomach rebelled against him with a horrid vengeance. In any moment, Levi felt the possibility of vomiting up his guts.  


He wasn’t stupid; he knew Erwin was right and had every reason to be angry.  


“Don’t you dare sit in my car, wearing the clothes I bought you, after eating my food, and say you don’t have to respect me. Without me, you would be dead.” Levi’s silence was taken as submission, the car rolling out of the parking lot and back toward the apartment. They didn’t speak the rest of the day. 

  


Monday it rained and was soggy. Erwin dropped Levi off at the usual time without offering much conversation. To his surprise—really, it shouldn’t have been—the feline seemed more or less spiteful. His leash had lost its slack; he still hissed at him and bit his ankles when Erwin drew too close to his territories around the apartment. Erwin could feel one particular wound ache as he pressed down to stop, Levi having dug a claw into the sole of his foot the night prior. He swore he would have yanked Levi’s claws out himself if it were not so inhumane. Blue eyes glanced to the rearview mirror. Levi had made it inside.  


Even if they were fighting, Erwin knew Levi didn’t want to be alone outside anymore. The policeman was empathetic enough to not go back on that promise. Or, maybe it was not empathy. After seeing Levi busted and bleeding a week ago, Erwin couldn’t bear to let it happen again. It was his fault for letting Levi out anyways. It was his fault Levi could barely see out of his right eye and had home-sewn stitches lacing his lip and eyebrow. Tan fingers clasped at the steering wheel. Erwin felt sick to his stomach.  


Prying had been out of the question, Levi locked up tighter than a jail when Erwin referenced the incident. While the cat had not let slip any details, he’d just repeated himself. All they did was beat me up. It didn’t sit well with Erwin. The bruises at the back of his neck had been off, no doubt the straw that broke Levi into submitting his head to be shaved in an undercut. Whether it be due to trauma, or ease, or some other obscure thought process the feline kept well hidden, there was no way Erwin was going to get it out of him, so the policeman had given up. No use fighting a war that had already been lost.  


His windshield wipers whimpered, Erwin parking his car against the curb and stepping out with his umbrella. He could see Mike walking in before him, holding the door open.  


“Thanks,” offered Erwin, his partner voicing a grunt. It was the usual. Mike had never been much of a talker, especially when it rained. “You’re here earlier than I thought. Guessing you got Hanji’s voicemail?”  


“I always get her voicemails,” assured Mike. Erwin shrugged.  


By the time they’d found Hanji, Erwin noticed that their route was highlighted in yellow over the wall. A map had been set up. He hadn’t noticed it was there until now. While Hanji spoke to Mike about their directions, Erwin allowed himself to wander over in a bit of mindless curiosity. There were three red tacks around the inner streets, the roads leading to them highlighted in different shades. He’d been right; theirs was yellow.  


“Erwin, come on.”  


“Yeah,” the blond wistfully agreed, though the tacks still burrowed angrily into the back of his skull. Murders—connected ones, three to begin with. Erwin wasn’t deaf to the ongoing cases being passed around from group to group. It wasn’t unusual. Ever since Weres had become bigger in urban society, people had attempted to eradicate them. Most were simple drive-bys, random shootings, the killers hardly ever found, but this seemed like a heavier situation than the rest.  


“We’re talking to a woman that called in gunshots earlier this morning,” Mike explained, Erwin buckling himself in after fixing his vest. “She’s called before, but we have reason to believe her.”  


“We always have reason to believe those things.”  


“You know what I mean.” Blue eyes met brown. It wasn’t the first time Mike would seem to be annoyed with his tenacity. Erwin, even with his recent outburst at Levi fresh in mind, considered himself to be the only one still on the force that wasn’t callous. He was still very much enticed at the idea to protect and serve, though that was what kept them all going. That, or lack of better education. Mike only seemed to be going with the flow at times. Erwin didn’t mention it.  


The woman was, as Mike had described, in her late seventies, lanky hands pointing angrily over at the apartment buildings down the street. It came as no shock that said area was dangerous. Anyone, especially someone that had supposedly lived here for years, should know that this side of town was nowhere near contained. Despite that, they were wandering the higher levels of the complex a few minutes later, Mike taking the lead. They’d questioned the floors below to figure out if they had heard any shots that morning, most of which pointing them to the southern side, one actually cursing about a loud group that’d been active on the fifth floor. It was hardly a lead, but they didn’t have much else to grab at.  


Rapping on the door, the two blonds waited a few minutes before trying again. After the third time, Mike seemed to be growing impatient.  


“They said someone was in there yesterday.”  


“Yeah, well, I’ll ask the neighbors real quick—“  


“We don’t have time for that,” cut Mike, raising a heavy foot to kick beside the doorknob. The lock snapped, the door swinging open and smacking hard onto the stopper inside. Erwin pursed his lips.  


The apartment was clean, save for the scuffmarks here and there from what seemed to be a pair of heavy heels. Mike was cautious not to step on them in case it was anything important. While they didn’t work near forensics, Erwin knew not to fuck with potential evidence. He’d been chewed out once and never again.  


“You want to check the front rooms?” Erwin nodded, already tromping past Mike and down the hallway. Walking into the first room, gun held out to push the door aside, Erwin noted that it was a stark change. There was nothing: no furniture, no lights. The spaces left open for bulbs were empty of wires, the copper surely stripped out a while ago for cash. Erwin couldn’t imagine why. Didn’t cost much to at least have some lights put in, even if the room wasn’t being used.  


“Erwin,” Mike called from down the hallway, said man fluidly turning on his heels. Mike was in the bathroom, the back of his hand over his nose. From the narrow space left between their broad frames, Erwin could see the hand hanging over the side of the tub, red fingernails standing out against the white backdrop. “We’re gonna’ need a body bag.”  


It was a female, her weight a bit skewed by whatever air she had taken in since dying, but seemingly to be around a hundred and thirty. The water was up to her breasts, feet pushing down against the small length of the bathtub, pale knees buckled up above the surface of the water. Mike brushed his way out against Erwin, his nose far too sensitive even for this situation. Erwin didn’t call him back. Instead, he took a few steps closer. The water was sudsy along the rim of her hips, small, black shells floating along the dying bubbles. Scented bath supplies. Erwin remembered his mother showing him some a month or two ago. Though why they were here, he couldn’t know. A killer of this stature should perceive that a few bath bubbles wouldn’t cover the stench of a rotting corpse.  


With a closer look and a less scrounging eye, Erwin realized that the woman appeared to be a Were. Her tail was difficult to see. It looked to be a bob, messily clipped down to the base, but left unattended while healing. Her orange fur did little to hide the unsightly clump of knobby bones. There were vivid traces of bite marks along her neck and breasts, her eyeliner drooling along the curve of round cheeks, mascara stuck together. It didn’t look like she’d been crying. It was running due to the bath. Erwin suspected she’d been drowned, but there was hardly a bruise on her.  


“Erwin, don’t touch her,” spoke Mike from behind. “We have a team coming. You know not to tamper.”  


“Wasn’t going to,” Erwin mumbled. He got to his feet, blue eyes squinting at a sudden waft of another smell beyond the heavy aroma of bath soaps and cigarettes. He couldn’t place it at the time, though it faintly reminded him of Levi. Erwin excused himself to the living room to sit. He’d suddenly begun to feel nauseated.

  


“We can’t do this today.” Levi’s eyes rolled to find green. ”You’re not paying enough attention. I can’t get any good shots.”  


Eren let out a ragged sigh that seemed to fill Levi’s lungs. The cat was against the window, Eren finally allowing him to lean on it since Levi hardly left fingerprints. His face was of a mellow grimace; his stitches were miserably itchy. Erwin had told him not to scratch, but the need was growing each day. At the very least Levi did not have to worry about licking them raw. It was impossible since they were confined to the skin of his brow. Two lonesome stitches kept his upper lip together and from time to time Levi would languidly sweep his tongue across them. The wound tasted like antibacterial wipes and stinging alcohol. Erwin had done good to keep the area unappealing.  


Eren settled at his desk before turning to face the raven, arms crossed. “You shouldn’t bother coming if you can’t focus.”  


“It’s not my choice,” Levi harrumphed. “I don’t come here because I like to, you know.”  


The photographer pursed his lips, scruffy brows knitting. Levi admired the streets below.  


“Well,” started Eren, but even he seemed to dwindle off, uninspired and perturbed. Levi had given him no room to contradict. Even if there had been, the raven was quick to disengage conversation before it could go sour.  


Eren couldn’t get around that. Levi wouldn’t let him.  


“What in the hell happened to you, anyways? Car wreck?” The question had been long since expected, gunmetal irises uncomfortably shifting.  


“No.”  


“A fight?” Eren’s voice was recognizably softer. It was disgusting to Levi, the tenderness.  


“You act like it’s a surprise someone would beat my ass.”  


“No, it’s not.” Levi sent the brunet a tart expression. “I just imagined Erwin was taking care of that for you.” Somehow, the cat managed to hold back a guttural snarl.  


“Taking care of what for me? We share his apartment,” he decidedly spat up, finally allowing his body to turn and face Eren.  


“You’re shit at lying. I know why you’re staying with him. I’m only wondering what happened.”  


Levi had no response to that, fingers digging into his sleeves, hair rising up his spine. He hadn’t planned for this. He hadn’t asked for this. Stomach clenched as if preparing to vomit, in a moment Levi was wishing Erwin to be there with him. Blue eyes were rolling in their sockets in search of anything but Eren, anywhere but Eren. The plain walls offered no security, so Levi unceremoniously turned around to find seclusion outside the window.  


Silence greeted his ears beneath his pulse. But he could still feel Eren there, smell the heavy stench of cigarettes and gasoline wafting from his clothes. Whatever curiosity Eren had shown before apparently vanished with the greeting of Levi’s back. The raven hoped to remain in this state of limbo till Erwin showed up to take him home.  


They didn’t speak again, Levi eventually moving to grab his backpack before heading out. The silence had been wholly welcomed.

  


He drank because he had nothing else to do before falling asleep. They were in the living room, Levi tucked neatly on the arm of his couch. The cat had nestled there the moment they’d gotten home a few hours ago and seemed content to remain the rest of the night. Erwin decided he could close the door to his room. He doubted Levi would change his mind. The man was far too stubborn and admitting defeat to Erwin would be a blow to his pride. Erwin wasn’t interested in waiting on him, either. Slouched over the opposite end of the couch, pressing the cool rim of his can against his bottom lip, Erwin entertained himself by watching his breath condense over the top with each exhale.  


“I don’t like it when you’re a cat,” finally the cop mentioned, blue eyes looking a bit lower than where Levi sat. Yellow orbs were peering at him, sulfur crescents due to Levi keeping his head forward. It was the only sign he ever gave: whether or not Erwin was talking into a vacuum. So long as Levi was looking, Erwin knew he was listening. “You never do anything. You’re so quiet.”  


A low, audible growl rumbled from the cat like muffled thunder, a warning for the blond to stop.  


“Why don’t you talk to me more?” It was then that the cat turned his head. In Erwin’s clouded judgment, the cop swore Levi’s countenance had become malleable. His glare was not so fiery as it had been seconds ago. “You’ve lived with me a few months now. You should have realized I’m not hiding anything.” Erwin leaned forward, arms moving to rest on strong thighs. It grew silent, more or less due to Levi’s inability to speak—or his disinterest in responding.  


Erwin took another sip of his drink, the bitter taste only making his throat clench, his nostrils flare, and the memory of that woman burst in his mind like fireworks. What had she smelled like? She’d reeked of Levi. The blond couldn’t put his finger on it, but a corpse had reminded him of Levi. It made him nauseated; Erwin never wanted to think of anything like that happening to the other. But why should he care? Levi didn’t share his struggles, didn’t express his thoughts, certainly never approved of Erwin acting so affable toward him. But Erwin still cared. Whether it was the demand to do what was moral or the desire to simply keep up with Levi as a person, as a friend, was beyond him at this point. Erwin felt he acted because some omnipotent being was commanding him to. Even still, Levi spat in his general direction every time he offered help.  


Reaching out, blue eyes widened when he felt soft fur beneath his heavy hand. It was warm, the subtle rise and fall of Levi’s stomach not moving at a panicked state for once. Sulfur eyes watched him studiedly from where Levi perched, allowing Erwin to run his hand through his grey pelt. He’d never allowed it before. Any other time the cop had made a move to pet him, Levi had hissed and bit and clawed.  


“You’re soft,” Erwin mused. Levi hissed indignantly. “I know, I know.” Fingers trailed higher around the cat’s neck before fishing beneath his chin. Teeth met his hand light in warning, but Erwin only took the chance to scratch his finger against Levi’s hard cheek. “You’re not all that bad,” sighed the blond. Placing his drink down on the coffee table, Erwin gingerly reached out with his other hand to cup the cat’s face. Yellow eyes were not wide with trepidation, but narrowed lightly, as if Levi were begrudgingly allowing this. It would come as no shock if he were. Though why he would was the question.  


The cop leaned forward experimentally, brushing his nose over the bridge of Levi’s maw, eyelashes tickling against short, smoky fur. Erwin sighed, opened his eyes, and looked hard into the expanse of hair before his face. That smell again, but stronger than with the woman. Immediately did he recoil, Levi curiously twitching his ears and tilting his head back to stare. He felt sick again. She’d been so young. Her hands had been smooth with youth. The color was stained in his memory: crimson fingernails against a white bathtub, orange fur hiding knobby bones.  


Erwin rose without dismissing himself and made a silent trail back to his room, Levi left sitting silent on the arm of the couch. After an hour, Levi realized he was not coming back.


End file.
